


Voice of Reason

by multifanwho



Series: Captain Najia of the Good Ship Thasmin [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Family Fluff, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Multi, Najia POV, with a dash of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-18 12:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17580533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifanwho/pseuds/multifanwho
Summary: Najia becomes a point of call for the Doctor (and sometimes Yaz)(In which Najia gives advice with every significant step in thasmin's relationship.)





	1. A Date

Najia Khan was trying to enjoy a lovely cup of tea in her kitchen. She’s made a particularly excellent one today with the perfect balance teabag strength and milk. She would be able to concentrate on it more if there wasn’t someone pacing up and down the hallway, mumbling to herself and flailing her arms around every two seconds.

“Najia can I ask you something?” The Doctor asks, taking a seat at the kitchen table. She’d been spending a lot of time in their flat recently.

“Of course, if it stops you flapping about.”

“If I were to ask Yaz out on a date, how should I do it?” She asks timidly. Najia looks at her with her mouth slightly open. “Or should I ask for your permission if I can ask her first? Have I done this wrong?”

“No, no it’s your life.” Najia says snapping out of her initial shock.

“I just want to make sure I do it right with no pressure or anything. I don’t want to scare her away.”

“Well if you don’t want to scare her away you need confidence.” Najia explains. The Doctor’s forehead crinkles, confused. “Yasmin will do anything if she knows the person she’s doing it with has confidence in what they’re about to embark on.”

“I am confident that I want to ask her but I don’t know how. That’s why I’m asking you.”

“Doctor,” Najia plans her next words carefully. “I’m not going to tell you.”

“Come on Najia, please.”

“If you don’t know what she’d like then you don’t know her well enough to date her.” Najia says. That was always her policy that her mother taught her and she passed down onto her own daughters.

“I do. I swear I do.” The Doctor runs her hands through her hair. “I know her.”

“Okay, you’re getting really stressed out over this.” Najia gently places her hand on the Doctor’s arm, removing it from her hair and making it rest on the table. She knows for a fact Yaz would agree to a date, but the mother in her can’t help but need to know how serious the Doctor is about this. She needs to know her daughter won’t be played around.

“I’ve not properly asked someone out in so many years.” The Doctor sighs.

“Describe her to me. Tell me why you want to take her on a date.” Najia encourages her.

“She’s hot.”

“Emotionally, Doctor.”

“Hold on you didn’t let me finish.” The Doctor holds up her hand.  “Not only is she really attractive she has the biggest heart and cares so much. You know how I sometimes retreat into my own head?  I often almost walk into traffic and some other danger but I don’t because she’s got hold of my suspenders, because she’s always looking out for me.” The Doctor pauses to smile and reminisce while staring into space. “She’s always up for whatever silly shit I’m prepared to get myself into without hesitation.”

“You’re describing examples of her and you, tell me about just her.”

“When she smiles, she gets these dimples in her cheeks. She always smells so nice I could inhale her scent all day if I had the chance. She’s so friendly and kind and easy to be around it makes my hearts- I mean heart beat so fast it makes me a bit uneasy, ironically.”

“You could tell her all this you know.” Najia says. Hearing her say all those things made her even more of an adorable charm.

“No, it might freak her out.”

“Doctor, do you have any idea how much she talks about you when you’re not here?” The Doctor shakes her head. “Well it’s a lot. Makes my ears burn sometimes.”

“Good things?”

“She makes you out to be some kind of God.”

The Doctor smiles but her eyes go cold and hard at the idea. Najia assumes she’s not religious or has had a bad experience with religious people. She knows nothing about the Doctor’s upbringing or past before she started hanging around with her daughter. Najia has been living life for long enough to know that anyone with an entirely bubbly exterior like the Doctor has something dark and unforgettable hidden away somewhere deep down.

“Hey, so this is where you disappeared to.” Yaz comes up behind the Doctor and the Doctor’s face instantaneously lights up again.

“You know how it is, can’t beat a good chat with Yaz’s mum.” The Doctor cheers.

“Oh yeah? What were you talking about?” Yaz asks. Najia and the Doctor both share a look. “Okay now you’re both worrying me.”

“Yaz.” The Doctor takes Yaz’s hand and sits her down in the seat next to her.

“What’s happening? Is someone unwell? Oh my God, mum are you dying?” Yaz was starting to spiral. Najia wishes the Doctor would hurry up and spit it out to save her daughter anymore stress.

“No, she’s fine. Listen, Yaz, I want to ask you something.”

Reading the room, Najia gets up and leaves taking her tea with her. She knows Yaz wouldn’t want her to be in the room when she’s asked out on a date, even though the Doctor may need some back up. Out of curiosity she stays within earshot of the kitchen.

“Would you go on a date with me?” The Doctor asks. Najia can’t tell if her voice is shaking or not.

“Sure.” Yaz replies simply.

“You know I’m talking about a romantic date, right? Like how normal people take the first steps to see if there’s something there?” The Doctor asks shyly and in her own quirky way. Najia could only see her using the phrase ‘normal people.’ The Doctor often talked like that, as if she wasn’t human, even though that’s impossible.

“I know.”  Yaz says softly.

Najia can hear the Doctor exhale in relief and decides not to hang around any longer. She gets a faint sense of satisfaction that she had a part to play in the events that just unfolded. Of course, she doesn’t actually know when their date is, what they’re going to do or where it will be, but she’s glad the Doctor felt she could ask her; even if her only motivation to do so was because she’s Yaz’s mum. She also held some excitement. She knows Yaz, and she knows being properly asked out as an adult is a whole new adventure she’s wanted for a while. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: has 2 other unfinished thasmin fics and 3 call the midwife prompts I want to write  
> also me: writes another Najia pov for shits and giggles


	2. Girlfriend. Partner. Significant other. Whichever.

A month had passed since Najia witnessed her daughter coming back late at night with a smile plastered all over her face. They went bowling in the end. Yaz said the Doctor had never been before and she couldn’t stop laughing at her technique. Since then Yaz tells her they’ve been on quite a few more dates, but she hadn’t given any more detail than that. Najia knew she’d tell her in time.

It was a Wednesday evening when Najia came back from work and found her husband teaching the Doctor how to make Yaz’s favourite meal for when she got home.

“Hey, smells good.” Najia says to greet them both.

“Thanks, I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“She really doesn’t.” Hakim backs up the Doctor’s statement.

“At least you’re making an effort.” Najia pats the Doctor’s shoulder. It was kind of sweet to see how hard she was trying to win Yaz’s affection. Little did she know she’s already won.

“You won’t believe the kind of shit I had to sort out today.” Yaz’s voice fills the flat as well as the sound of her kicking off her boots.

“You said she wouldn’t be back for another half hour!” The Doctor whispers panicking.

“Well, I thought she wouldn’t be but here we are!”

“Don’t start bickering, she’ll be in the room any second.” Najia intercepts.

“I am so sick of that knobhead sergeant giving me- oh, hey.” Yaz’s voice softens and she smiles as she notices the Doctor. Her walking pace picks up so that within seconds she’s throwing herself into the Doctor’s arms.

“Hello.” The Doctor smiles.

Najia feels her husband wrap his arm around her. She looks up at him, both smiling at the sheer happiness they were witnessing play out in front of them.

“We’re here too.” Hakim jokes.

“Yeah, hi, whatever.” Yaz nuzzles her face further into the Doctor’s neck.

“Charming.” Hakim says, turning his attention back to the cooking.

“Bad day, sweetheart?” Najia asks.

“Just a really bad set of callouts.”

“Want to talk about it?” The Doctor asks.

“Maybe later.” Yaz pulls back. “Wait, have you been cooking?”

“Sort of, your dad helped with most of it.” The Doctor explains.

“It was her idea though. Cooking your favourite for you, I mean.” Hakim gives the Doctor more credit.

“Thank you.” Yaz softly presses her lips against the Doctor’s. That hasn’t happened in front of Najia before, and she doesn’t really know where to look. “I’m gonna go get changed.”

The Doctor watches every step Yaz takes out of the room in a haze. Najia catches her slightly bite down on her lip.

“Keep it in your pants kiddo.” Hakim laughs. The Doctor just blushes before turning back to the stove.

“So, are you two serious now?” Najia asks, finally removing her coat from when she first came in.

“I guess so.” The Doctor shrugs.

“What do you mean?” Najia asks concerned. “It looked like a serious relationship just now.”

“She’s not said anything about labels yet.” The Doctor tenses up. “I don’t want to push her to commit to me because that’s such a big ask.”

“Doctor, did you not just see how happy she was to come home to you? You need to start taking bigger leaps of faith with her.” Najia urges.

“Yaz doesn’t need someone to take charge though, she likes to make her own mind up.”

“You think as her mother I don’t know that?” Najia says a bit too defensively, making the Doctor retreat into herself slightly. “All I’m saying is, if you ask her, you’ll find out her stance on the situation and then you won’t be in the dark about where you are together.”

“Since when did you become a relationship guru?” Hakim cuts in.

“Since it involved our daughter.”

“Why doesn’t the Doctor talk to her own mum about her relationship?” He asks.

“My parents aren’t around anymore.” The Doctor says solemnly, leaning back against the counter. “They haven’t been for a while.”

“So I’m-“

“The closest thing I have to a normal mother figure to talk to right now? Yeah.” The Doctor finishes her sentence exactly how Najia intended to. “I don’t have any biological family left.”

Najia stepped closer to her so that she could leave a gentle hand on her upper arm. She can’t imagine how lonely the Doctor must be if she has no biologically family around, but it seems she has enough friends to turn to if she needed it.

“You can come to me whenever with whatever you want. Relating to Yasmin or not.”

The Doctor’s lips curl at the corners.

“Thanks, Najia.”

“So, when’s this food going to be ready?” Yaz reappears in sweats and an old baggy t-shirt.

“About fifteen minutes.” Hakim tells her.

Yaz comfortably attaches herself to the Doctor’s side, allowing the Doctor so rest her arm on her shoulder.

“Talk about anything interesting?” Yaz asks, trying to strike up conversation.

“My lack of biological family.”

“Interesting.” Yaz tries not to make a big deal of the oddness of the conversation. “You don’t need biological links anyway, you have Ryan and Graham. Me.”

“Oh really, what exactly am I to you then?” The Doctor masks her genuine intrigue and need to now with awkwardly flirty behaviour.

“You’re my girlfriend. Partner. Significant other. Whichever one I don’t mind, we said it’s just us together so...”  Najia, Hakim, and the Doctor all share a similar look. “You don’t remember do you.” Yaz catches on.

“What, no, I remember!”

“No, you don’t.” Yaz speaks softly but the Doctor starts to become flustered, her eyes not knowing where to look. “It’s okay, it was only in passing conversation. You were fiddling with the, uh, heating mechanism in the main room of your house.”

“I’m sorry Yaz, you know I usually have all the time in the universe to listen to you, I just…”

Najia doesn’t pay much attention to their rest of their conversation and sets the table. Sometimes she thinks the Doctor doesn’t realise how sappy and romantic her words actually are; she felt like she was in the middle of a terrible romance novel written in the early 2000s. Despite this, it was highly adorable that the Doctor got so freaked out over something she already knew, and now that she’s been reminded of their status, she might actually start to relax a bit more. That’s even if she is that nervous around Yaz when they were alone. In her own environment she might thrive and be the smoothest person in the world, although given her nature of social awkwardness that would be doubtful anyway.

“Doctor, care to plate up for your just-clarified-girlfriend.”

“Don’t tease her dad.” Yaz asks as kindly as she could.

 As Yaz and Hakim take their seats and the Doctor dishes out the food, Najia calls Sonya before joining the Doctor at her side. The Doctor didn’t look at her at first. Najia stared until she couldn’t help but look. It was just a glance over the shoulder, but enough for her to see that she was quite embarrassed. Najia gently places her hand on the Doctor’s back and gives her a look to say ‘it’s okay’.  She imagines if she mistook a similar thing in front of Hakim’s parents when their relationship was that fresh and new. She probably wouldn’t’ve forgotten it for weeks. The Doctor smiles gently back before taking away some plates. She remembers what she told her, that she was the closest thing she had to a mother figure. It was heart-warming that she thought that, but not as heart-warming as the idea of her actual daughter getting involved in a serious relationship.


	3. First Fight

The door of flat 34 slams, instantly waking Najia. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach. She jumps out of bed, following the noise of heavy feet. There’s the drag of a heavy bottle across the kitchen counter and the clink of glass. In addition to that, quiet sobbing. She turns the corner into the kitchen, not knowing exactly what she’ll find. To her surprise it was her eldest daughter, hunched over the counter.

“Yaz? I thought you were with the Doctor tonight.” Najia says trying to get an understanding of why she was back.

There’s no reply, only more sniffling. She gets closer. Yaz’s hands were shaking as she poured whisky into the glass. Najia didn’t even know they owned whisky.

“No, no you’re not doing this.” Najia takes everything out of her daughter’s hands and sees her face wet with tears. “What’s happened? Tell me.” Yaz reaches for the bottle again. “Now you’re really worrying me. Drinking? You don’t drink Yaz, tell me what’s going on.”

Yaz stands up straight. The only light coming from above the oven makes her look sad, run down.

“What’s happened?” She asks softly.

“I can’t say.” Yaz says through jagged breath.

“Is it the Doctor?” Najia asks plainly. All Yaz does is tilt back her head to stop more tears flowing out. “What’s she done to you? Did she say something to you? Cheat on you? Hurt you? Did she rape you?”

“No mum she’d never do that, she just-” Yaz wipes her nose on her sleeve. “You wouldn’t get it.”

“You’ve come home in the middle of the night crying please just tell me.”

“We just had a fight over nothing it’s fine.” Yaz brushes it off.

“It’s clearly not.”

“I’m not going to tell you.”

“Please, Yasmin. Let me help.”

“You can’t.”

“Has she threatened you to not say anything?”

“Mum, stop.”

“No.”

“Mum.”

“Yaz.”

“She’s an alien!” Yaz shouts. She rocks back in shock of the power of her own voice. “I mean she’s alien to me. I don’t know her like I thought I did, mum.”

Najia catches her as she falls into her arms. She holds her tight. This was new, seeing Yaz like this over a woman. Well, it wasn’t just some woman. Yaz really had been falling head over heels for her no matter how hard she tried to hide it from the rest of her family.

“I won’t push for you to tell me what’s gone on tonight.” She runs her fingers through her hair. “But just tell me it’s not serious.”

“Mum.” Sonya’s voice from a few meters away catches Najia’s attention before Yaz had the chance to gather the right words. Standing sheepishly to the side behind Sonya was the Doctor, who look in just as much a state Yaz was. “I told her it was best she didn’t come in but she did anyway.”

Najia felt Yaz push away from her. She watched her compose herself, which included raising her emotional defences. It wasn’t something anyone outside of her family would notice in particular, but it was clear to her, and surprisingly, clear to the Doctor as well.

“What did you do?” Najia asks, trying to sort out the mess unfolding in the middle of her home. She knew that with two daughters a situation like this would happen at some point but she didn’t think it would occur like this.

“She didn’t do anything, it was me.” Yaz spoke up.

“Both of us.” The Doctor was quick to correct her. “We both said some unfair things.”

“Well what started it?” Najia asks, trying to get to the cause.

“My wife.” The Doctor reveals.

Najia feels about ten different emotions at once, including the desire to give the Doctor a slap for being married to another woman and dating Yaz at the same time. She resists the urge for the sake of Yaz and her own conscience. Instead she waits for the Doctor to elaborate.

“It was a complicated marriage and she died. A long time ago now.”

“Did you kill her?” Najia asks, now starting to worry for Yaz’s safety.

“No.” The Doctor says.

“I found out and I said some stuff I shouldn’t have.” Yaz shifts on the spot, folding her arms.

“I lost my temper.” The Doctor throws an apologetic look over to Yaz. “I scared you.”

“And now you’re both massive wrecks in my kitchen in the early hours of the morning.” Najia says, unimpressed. “You two clearly have some stuff to talk through together. Do it now, or in the morning or whatever but just don’t start shouting at each other.”

An uncomfortable silence echoes off the walls. It was clear the two of them both wanted to say their piece but couldn’t find the right words. Najia watches them stare at each other. It was a strange thing to observe, obviously not knowing everything that went on in private with the pair of them. She only knew what Yaz and occasionally the Doctor told her.

“I’m going to bed.” Yaz decides.

The Doctor looks like she was about to plead with Yaz to go back with her but she keeps quiet and just watches her walk past. Her head hangs low while she lets the situation sink in. Najia can’t help but feel the tiniest bit of sympathy for her. A secret dead wife causing an argument with her current alive girlfriend seemed like a nightmare. It was hard not to see both sides of the story, but if she was forced to she'd side with her flesh and blood.

“Let her sleep on it. She’ll find you tomorrow.”

“I should’ve told her before.” The Doctor exhales in frustration.

“Yeah, you probably should have, but this has happened now.” Najia nods in the direction of the door. “Go home Doctor. Get some sleep.”

“Can you promise me she’ll talk to me tomorrow?” The Doctor asks in desperation.

“If she doesn’t turn up at yours by ten, come here. She can be stubborn if she chooses to hold a grudge, but you’re you.”

The Doctor walks towards the door, head still hanging low with her hands in her coat pockets. There was more than just upset in the way she walked. She was ashamed, disappointed in herself.

“Does this make me look bad to you?”  The Doctor asks. Najia doesn’t hesitate to shake her head. She didn’t want to bash her confidence anymore tonight.

“See you tomorrow, Doctor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I did this but uuuuh at least it will make the rest of the fic look soft I guess byeeeeee


	4. Move in Day

“Are you sure you won’t need help unpacking it all at the other end?” Hakim asks Yaz for the fourth time today, shifting the last box of Yaz’s possessions onto the pile next to the door.

“No, Ryan and Graham are already meeting us there. It’s not a lot of stuff anyway dad.”

“Yes, but my baby girl is moving out, I want to see where she’s living.”

“Dad, it’s only the other side of Sheffield.”

“I wouldn’t give her anything under your standards Hakim, you know that.” The Doctor teases.

Najia hadn’t quite registered what was happening until now. There was going to be one less person living under her roof for her to take care of. Twenty was a young age to be moving in with your partner and they had barely been together a year, but somehow, they acted as if it had been at least five.

“Anyone willing to help me move into my new room?” Sonya calls from far away. She was finally getting what she wanted with Yaz moving out.

“Nope.” Yaz shouts back.

“So, you’ll help her but you won’t help me?” Sonya appears, poking her head around the corner.

“Moving house is a bit different to moving across the hallway.” Najia reminds her.

“It’s a big room.” Sonya brags.

“Oh, I know. You might want to scrub the walls, I’ve had her naked up against every inch of them.” Yaz says pointing at the Doctor, who had very rosy cheeks all of a sudden.

“Yasmin!” Hakim exclaims. Sonya imitates a vomiting noise before disappearing again.

“I’m exaggerating, calm down dad.” Yaz laughs.

“Well you can do it all in the Doctor’s house now.”

“Our house.” The Doctor corrects him.

Yaz spins her head around so fast to smile at the Doctor that Najia swears her vision went blurry for a second.

“You’ve never called it our house before.”

“Well it’s official now, might as well.” The Doctor says standing behind her. She rests her chin on Yaz’s shoulder and folds her arms around her stomach.

“How long until you’ll be carrying my daughter over the threshold of that house, Doctor?” Hakim asks.

Najia quickly whips out her hand to hit his arm. They’d talked a lot ever since the fight had happened as to whether marriage was on the table for Yaz and the Doctor. If the Doctor’s previous wife had died and their relationship was as complicated as she implied it was, would she be open to marrying again? Had she even fully got over her first wife? The Doctor looked too young for it to have happened a long time ago, unless she married super young. And would Yaz even be interested in a proper marriage? These were the kind of things they talked about late at night regarding the future of their daughter’s relationship. Regarding the argument, Yaz never told her anything other than that they made up and talked it through. She did hear someone leaving the flat at about six in the morning, so she assumed Yaz didn’t actually get much sleep that night.

“I… don’t think that will happen anytime soon.” Yaz speaks slowly.

“You don’t?” The Doctor asks surprised, lifting her chin.

Najia gives and annoyed look at her husband. He’d brought up something they clearly hadn’t even spoken about together yet.

“Forget I mentioned it.” Hakim brushes away his comment. “It’s move in day, focus on that.”

“Is that really everything you own?” Najia asks. Two small suitcases and two boxes don’t seem to be able to hold a whole twenty years’ worth of life.

“Most of my stuff is already there, this is just some clothes and books and pictures.” Yaz says taking a box under her arm and a case in the opposite hand.

Najia pulls Yaz into a hug before she becomes overwhelmed with the need to cry. Her little girl was really leaving to live with someone else. Najia wouldn’t just be able to check in on her late at night when she knew she’d had a bad day, or pester her about keeping on top of her own washing. It felt like her duties as a mother were starting to decrease in number.

“Take care sweetheart. Call me if there’s anything you need.” She tells her.

“I will, mum.” Yaz says back. She moves on to say goodbye to her dad, leaving the Doctor in front of Najia.

“Do I get a hug?” The Doctor asks.

“Since when did you start asking for hugs and not just giving them?” Najia jokes referring to the first time they met. She extends her arms and the Doctor fills them. She’ll never get over how strong the Doctor was despite how small she looked.

“You have to look after her now.” Najia whispers. “It won’t all be on your shoulders but if you truly love her, you’ll do anything for her.”

“I do.” The Doctor whispers back. Najia can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“And remember you can also call me if there’s anything you want to talk about.” She adds. The Doctor pulls back to smile and nod at her. She still isn’t the best at expressing her feelings.

“Doctor.” Hakim says, breaking Najia’s hug with the Doctor.

He extends his arm for the Doctor to shake. The Doctor looks down at it and then back up to his face. Then, without hesitation she throws her arms around him. Najia swears she hears her whisper ‘thank you’ after Hakim regains his balance. Hakim awkwardly pats the Doctor’s back to signify the end of the physical contact. He coughs, and the Doctor extends her own hand like he initially did for to make him feel a bit less awkward and he takes it.

“Oh go on, go and start living your life together under your own roof.” Najia hurries them along.

“Wait.” Sonya says, appearing from her newly acquired room. She stands in front of Yaz. “Look, I know we don’t always see eye to eye but… I’ll miss you being here.”

Not knowing how to respond, Yaz pulls her sister into a hug as well. Najia and Hakim both share a beaming grin. Even the Doctor caught on to how significant this interaction was.

“And you!” Sonya adds, shifting her attention to the Doctor. “If she comes home in the middle of the night crying again, don’t come to the door like you did last time because I will break your legs.”

“Ruined it.” Yaz says pushing her away.

“It’s alright, Yaz. She’s just looking out for you.” The Doctor says picking up the remainder of Yaz’s packed away things. She extends her hand again. “Message received loud and clear.”

Sonya tries to hide a satisfied smile as she takes the Doctor’s hand. Once their contact broke, Yaz said a final ‘see you later’ before heading out the door with the Doctor following. The door closed too slowly for Najia’s liking, like it was drawing out the twinge in her heart.

“They’re going to have sex in every room of that house when they get there.”

“Don’t say stuff like that Sonya.” Hakim says, clearly grossed out.

“You know it’s true, you basically said the same thing earlier.” She says shrugging her shoulders and turning back to whatever she was doing before.

Najia slowly walks towards her husband for a hug of their own. The day had finally come, their first child had walked out the door of their family home to embark on a new adventure of her own. Najia was just thankful that she trusted the Doctor and considered her a safe person for Yaz to be living with. She knew she wasn’t going to feel like she was being held hostage in her own home.

“She’ll be fine, won’t she?” Najia speaks into her husband’s warm and comforting chest.

“She’ll be perfectly alright. It’s not like the Doctor puts her in danger, and Yaz knows how to say no.”

“How are we going to live with just Sonya?” Najia asks playfully.

“May God help us.” Hakim laughs, before they get on with the rest of their day, with Najia resisting the temptation to call her daughter and her girlfriend every hour to see how she was settling in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the quickest I've ever written anything in my life lmao had to make up for the sad part


	5. I'm Worried About Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: discussion of depression I guess

It was the middle of December and Najia was having a cosy day off at home. She had the house to herself for once, with Hakim out at work and Sonya on her new apprenticeship, and she wasn’t expecting any visitors. That’s why when there was a hard knock on the door, she couldn’t help but be curious as to who it could be. She opens it and the Doctor rushes past her inside.

“Hello to you too.” Najia addresses her.

“Sorry, really cold out there and forgot my scarf.”

“Is Yaz coming too?” Najia asks before closing the door behind her to stop the cold flooding in.

“No, it’s just me.” The Doctor takes off her coat and places it on the hanger. “I need your one on one advice.”

“Really? From me?” Najia questions her reasoning, surprised.

“Yeah, you said I could. Is that still alright?”  The Doctor asks cautiously. “It was a while ago when you said it, I can go if it’s not okay.”

“No, don’t be stupid, come in.” Najia leads the Doctor back to the sofa she was just sitting on. “Do you want a cup of tea or another drink or...”

“Got any biscuits?” The Doctor asks, making herself comfortable.

Even after Yaz had moved out, Najia still kept a constant supply of custard creams and chocolate digestives in the cupboard for when they visited home. She didn’t bother putting them out on a plate like she would when an acquaintance or a not so close friend came around. Instead she just threw the packet for the Doctor to catch and eat straight out of, like she would with her children. Najia sits down, tucking her legs under her so that she could face the Doctor, who sat cross legged opposite her.

“What did you want to talk about?”  

“I think Yaz is getting bored of me.”

“You? Boring?” Najia says not believing her. Yaz would never get bored of the Doctor’s antics. She loves an adventure and the Doctor is just that.

“She’s just been acting weird around me when we’re alone. Like, when we’re chilling out with Ryan and Graham, she seems really normal, just normal lovely Yaz, but then they leave and she just goes quiet.”

“Just quickly, you have talked to her about it before coming to me this time, right?” Najia checks.

“I did, she just said she was having a bad day but then a bad day turned into four bad days in a row and then a good day and then some more bad days. I don’t get it.” She says, frustrated.

“Could it be work?” Najia suggests. She kind of misses not hearing Yaz talk about her day at the end of every shift.

“No, I know it’s not work.” The Doctor scratches her forehead. “She just wants to stay in bed and do nothing, and I really mean nothing, we haven’t had-” The Doctor stops herself for a second as she catches Najia’s eye, realising who she’s talking to. “You know what I mean.”

Najia takes a moment to take in the information the Doctor has given her. Adding everything up, it became clear what was going on. This usually happened in winter with Yaz.

“Look I’m not a psychologist or anything but it sounds like she’s depressed.” Najia tells her. The Doctor’s face just scrunches up. “You know, depression?” The Doctor shakes her head. Najia thinks of a way to put it so that the Doctor’s mind would understand. “When the brain doesn’t have enough serotonin.”

“Oh, right that’s what that is!” The Doctor beams at learning something new. Najia gave her a slightly unimpressed look. “Wait I mean, oh no that’s bad. Why do you think that?” She asks.

“It sounds like she’s fine when she’s with your friends because she’s distracted for a bit but when it’s just you two you said she goes quiet, that’s just her running out of energy from being social, but she trusts you enough to not have to put up the front. Then you said she just wants to stay in bed and do nothing which means she’s not interested in anything which is a sign of depression, especially as it’s winter and she gets seasonal depression sometimes. The chemical imbalance can also mean a lack of a sex drive, which you’ve said is happening, I'll take your word on that I don't need proof.” Najia explains.

“Right.” The Doctor physically comes to a realisation, but it was a sad realisation, not a happy one.

“Excuse me if this is stepping over the line Doctor,” Najia speaks very gently. She didn’t want to offend the Doctor with what she was about to say. “but how come someone like you who has no family left alive and a dead wife not know what depression looks like?”

“Never knew the name of it before.” The Doctor shrugs. She was also looking off distantly over Najia’s shoulder, like she was remembering something.

“Are you okay?” Najia rests her hand on the closest part of the Doctor she could reach, her hand that was resting on top of the backrest of the sofa. “I didn’t mean to upset you, I’m sorry.”

“No, you haven’t, I’m fine I just… I feel like a terrible girlfriend for not seeing it.”

“You’re not a terrible girlfriend.” Najia laughs. “You were worried for her, didn’t know what to do, so you came to me. Her mother. That’s good instincts.”

“Tell me how I look after her.” The Doctor pleads.

“I can only tell you how to look after her as a mother. She’ll want you to look after her as her girlfriend and partner.”

“And that means…?”

“It means show her how much you love her in whatever special way you usually do with her, but also give her some space. You need to be patient with her while showing her you’re still sticking around.”

“I’ll get her some flowers. Or chocolates. Or even both, would she like that? Wait, what are her favourite flowers?” The Doctor says in such a fast succession Najia can’t get a word in edgewise. “Okay, skip the flowers, I’ll get her chocolates. Come to think of it that helped me when-”

The Doctor’s posture became hunched over and the smile was slowly wiped off her face. Najia became very concerned about her. What kind of life had she been living that was so filled with sadness that she didn’t even know she was depressed? But it was comforting to know she was in a good enough place now, with Yaz and her friends, to not feel like that. To not even think about it.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about anything else, Doctor?” Najia double checks.

“You said it’s seasonal, so like, will it go away?” She asks.

“It should do. I don’t doubt that you do this anyway but just make sure she’s talking to you.”

“She is. Even if it’s not vocally.”

“Are you talking about those little touches you both do?” Najia gives her a cheeky smile.

“Perhaps. Plus, the fact she doesn’t shrug me off when I go to hug her when we go to bed. The cutlery position.”

“Spooning?”

“That.” The Doctor picks up the packet of custard creams from the coffee table and stands up. “I should get back to her.”

“I thought she would be at work?”

“Uh, she should have been but she took the day off. That’s why I got worried. Can I keep these?” The Doctor avoids the topic by waving the packet of biscuits around in her hand.

“Sure.”

“Thanks, Najia.” The Doctor disappears, reappearing again halfway putting on her coat. “And thank you, for telling me what to do, with Yaz and stuff.” She says more calmly.

“Take care of yourself Doctor.”

Najia hears the door close and adjusts to her alone time again. She likes being in the loop with what was going on between Yaz and the Doctor, especially Yaz. Things were looking like they were really in it for the long run together. She overheard the Doctor say something about loving Yaz to the end of the universe once. The Doctor never used just the Earth in her metaphors, it was always in the context of the universe. Hakim later told her that he doesn’t like when Yaz and the Doctor are all loved up when they’re visiting because he feels like the Doctor sets a ‘standard of adoration’ he can’t meet with his own wife. She had to spend the rest of the afternoon reminding him she loved him even if she wasn’t being flooded with compliments. Hopefully, someday soon, the next step in the Doctor and Yaz's relationship will be announced. But not grandchildren, Najia is too young to be a grandmother yet.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor had asked for both Najia and Hakim to meet her outside one of the local cafes. She said it was urgent and she wanted to speak to them while Yaz was out at work. Given the circumstances Najia assumes that the Doctor wanted a word about Yaz in private. They find her at the back of the little café, slurping on a hot chocolate that was mostly just whipped cream and sprinkles on top.

“You could get something healthy to go with that, like one of those pears.” Hakim greets the Doctor by pointing at the selection of fruit displayed on the counter.

“I have never been more offended.” The Doctor replies in a very serious and slightly threatening tone of voice.

“Got something against pears?” Najia asks to lighten the mood.

“Najia, I’d love to explain to you why pears are terrible and the worst things on Earth, but I haven’t got the time.” The Doctor hurries them to sit down.

“What’s this about then and why couldn’t we finally go to your house?” Hakim asks, trying to get some context to the situation.

“I wanted to go somewhere Yaz wouldn’t overhear me and I may have made the microwave explode this morning so the house is a bit of a mess.” Both Najia and Hakims jaws involuntarily drop. “Anyway, diverting away from that, I know you’ve both been wondering what’s happening with Yaz and I. Whether we’re life partners or whatever and I’ve been thinking. I know you know about my dead wife- “

“How could we forget.” Najia says, recalling that fateful night.

“Well given my circumstances I thought I’d never get the urge to put a ring on someone’s finger again. For me, having long term partners is complicated. I always seem to mess up. But, Najia, and you Hakim, with both of your help that you’ve given me I can see myself with your daughter until the day I die.”

The Doctor takes a gulp of her drink and wipes away the left-over cream that had stuck to her top lip. Najia is ninety percent sure as to what’s coming next.

“Since I’m quite old fashioned, I’ve called you here so that I can ask for your daughter’s hand.” The Doctor lets out a shaky exhale. “So, um, with your permission, can I ask Yaz to marry me?”

“Doctor, don’t you think you’re both too young to be getting married?” Hakim asks slowly. The Doctor’s face falls.

“Oh, shit. That’s a no isn’t it, I should’ve just done it and told you instead.”

“No, Doctor.” Najia stops her from spiraling. “He’s just worried you haven’t been together long enough to know if it’s the right thing. I don’t think you’re too young at all.”

“I feel like I’ve known Yaz for my entire life. We’ve argued and had disagreements quite a few times but we’ve pulled through every one of them as a stronger couple. I feel like I know everything about her.”

“Do you know if Yaz actually wants to get married?” Hakim asks. “She didn’t seem sure of it when she moved out

“She talked to me a couple of nights ago about it. Said our fingers would look good with rings on.”

“That is a very Yaz way to hint at something.” Najia admits while looking at her husband, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Najia was fully on board with it, but it was hard to tell if Hakim was genuinely interrogating her or is just playing around to see how far he could push the Doctor.

“How are you planning to do it?” Hakim asks.

“Just quietly with no big spectacle. I’ll make her dinner, I’ve been practicing the one you taught me.”

“Oh, hence the microwave exploding!”

“Exactly! I’ll make her a nice meal and then while we’re talking, I’ll ask the question. I know she wouldn’t want it in public or with people watching.” The Doctor explains her plan.

“I’m sure Najia will agree with me that, even though you didn’t really have to ask us, you have permission to marry our daughter.” He smiles.

“You have to promise me something though.” The Doctor says before expressing her obvious joy. “Never tell Yaz I did this.”

“Why not? I think it’s sweet you wanted to do this with us.” Najia says, supporting the Doctor’s decision.

“Yeah but,” The Doctor leans back in her chair to look up to the ceiling. “she’d make fun of me for feeling I needed to. In a nice way, obviously.”

“We won’t say anything.” Najia speaks for the both of them. “When are you thinking of doing it?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“What!?” Hakim and Najia say in sync.

“Does that mean you’ve already got a ring?” Najia says excitedly.

“Not on me.” The Doctor says. “But, Yeah. Now or never, you know.”

Najia can do nothing else but sit and grin at the Doctor. She really had convinced herself that there wouldn’t be any rings or ceremonies on the table at all and now a proposal is happening tomorrow night. She’s taking the Doctor’s word that she knows Yaz will say yes. Personally, Najia isn’t totally sure that it will go the way the Doctor was planning it, but it would be cruel to rain on her parade now while she radiated with such happiness.

“Nervous?” Hakim asks her.

“Not really. I know what I’m doing is right.”

“That’s what I said before I proposed to her but that still didn’t stop me almost throwing up the whole day before.”

“She has a name.” Najia teases him. She looks over at the Doctor again. So much for raining on her parade. Hakim’s words had clearly set off the ticking time bomb in the Doctor’s head. “Could you go and order me a coffee Hakim.” He says to get rid of him.

“Did he just scare you?” Najia asks quietly.

“Little bit.”

“Tell you what,” Najia leans over the table with the red and white table cloth. “don’t bother with the whole dinner thing. Don’t bother with anything that puts on extra pressure on you otherwise it won’t come off as natural.”

“I’ve done a lot of stuff but I haven’t done anything like this before.” The Doctor says, starting to relax again.

“You didn’t propose to your last wife?”

“No. Like I said, complicated. It just sort of happened.” The Doctor started tapping her fingers on the table and softly bouncing her knee.

“Go to her, Doctor. Before he comes back and freaks you out even more.”

“You’re a star, Najia.”

The Doctor jumps up and out of her seat and scurries out of the café. Najia watches her sprint past the window as soon as she didn’t have table in the way to run into. She can’t tell if she’s running to get home to Yaz or if she’s running out of embarrassment or even adrenaline.

“Uh excuse me,” The barista calls over to Najia. “someone’s going to have to pay for your friends drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> want to know how the proposal goes because it's quite frankly a bit ooc? how thasmin will hide the fact their house is a time machine? what happened after the fight? how the Doctor looked after Yaz? because bitch me too the fuck, I'm still writing those parts but at least the date has been published. Put into practice is up now my ladies, men and non binary friends !


End file.
